Guitarist

I don't know how to start... At the moment I'm feeling very tired but... who cares???? It was an amazing concert, just because of Dalaras. And only him! Want to know the 'background' of this concert? Ok, keep reading on... It was a very strange situation. All over the week there was not even one single poster on the road, nothing to show that D a l a r a s is coming. Only one radio station, Omega Radio, was broadcasting messages :" Say your name and win an invitation for Dalaras concert". Incredible eh? So... 1750 FREE invitations were given to some people that called Omega Radio and said their names. The station was saying: "Only the people with the invitation can get in. The entrance will not be allowed to anyone else." So, many friends (AStron & Apostolis) cancelled their trips to Patras and many other friends from Patras decided to spend their night elsewhere. The previous things were on my mind while I was getting close to the small Ancient Odeum of Patras. I had no previous experience of such a concert. No tickets, just say your name and get an invitation. I thought that the only way to get in was to pretend the...journalist I put on a formal shirt, a silver pen in the pocket, a camera and a leather bag. I didnt know what I would face, but I had nothing to lose. My dream to become a journalist came true, even for a single night. I reached the entrance at 9.30. The concert was planned to start at 9.30 too. 25 people were outside without invitations. There was a lot of private security and they seemed very strict. I went to a security man and shew my ID, saying that I want to make a report and shoot some photos for the magazine. "I'm sorry, I'm not the responsible. The organizers are inside. No journalists without invitations. Please go." I asked the security to bring me some people from the sponsors. "I dont know where they are" said the security.

There was no need to show an original journalist ID If I was asked, I would say that I represent a students' magazine :-) But I was not asked! You know, my clothing created no doubt that I was a journalist! Oh, I forgot! The ID I shew to the 'gorilla' was a normal ID :cool:

Pavlo, I agree that Basis is the best new greek singer. However the companies have not given him very good songs yet. If they do, he will show how marvelous his voice is. I had the chance to admire him last year in Medousa with K.Makedonas. Excellent!

Geeske, the Gorillas were really kind, cause they were from a private company. If they were from the local department maybe we'd get in trouble

Vicky, maybe you did the best by staying home. The people that had no invitations came inside just 15' before the end of the concert! BUT the real amazing was that there were people that were: - leaving within the 1st hour of the concert!! - getting in the Odeum 1h after the concert!!! You can understand if these people liked Dalaras or not... And I speak for 40-50 people that left the concert after the 1st hour. The Mayor did the same too... That was an insult for Dalaras, wasn't it? But how can somebody expect respect from the wives of the Generals and the Judges?

"To Pepromeno" !!! I had lost the modern part of the concert but I didn't care. I wanted to hear the old good D a l a r a s !!! "Kapou Nyxtwnei", "Xantra sto Kompoloi Sou","Kali tyxi","Ti na 8ymh8w"... it was really fantastic, cause Dalaras was very friendly and 'powerful'! But something was.... strange. The crowd was so... so calm, only clapping at certain times, after the end of the songs, not so enthousiastic... The invitations were given to wrong people... just for votes.... I thought.... But I decided not to think about the f... political issues! Enough! "M' ena parapono", "To Gramma", "Leverkousen", "Kafenes"! Pappos in the bouzouki, Yannis Spa8as on the guitars, Yannis (Nikol.... on the percussion)! When Dalaras presented Yannis (percussion) all the crowd woke up!!! It was amazing!!! Dalaras said in a wonder: "Ok, maybe you know him from the past!" Then some songs of Stelios Kazantzidis and some of the same style and ... finished with some Dalaras ones! As usual, I expected the crowd to start shouting "We want more!" or something like that, but only 20-30 people were clapping their hands! Most of the others started walking towards the exit! I felt very angry with the organizers. "Look at where they have given the invitations!!! God!". And without expecting that, Dalaras came on the stage again saying: "The truth is that I didn't understand if you want us to play more. Maybe you don't even know what YOU really want!" and all started laughing :-) "But even if you dont want us to play again, I dont care, I want to say a goodnight (Kalhnyxta) to you!" And "Mi mou 8ymwneis matia mou" came to close this Dalaras concert. And this was only HIS concert! Nobody can play with his fame, his culture, his uniqueness and his past. And the ones that did it, are completely uncivilized and I'm sure that if Dalaras knew the 'background', he wouldn't have made the mistake to play in front of kommatoskyla. Goodnight! Dalaras is above all.

This fight caused the Main Organizer come out. He was very angry and was speaking really impolitely. I was standing in front of him, but the iron gate was still closed. - "Please open. More than 30 people with invitations have come out! So there must be some place inside!" - "You will not come inside! I cannot guarantee your safety!" - "We are only 25!!!". All the people were shouting, we were really under lot of tension. - "I dont care. Only invitations.!" I told him :" I'm a journalist and I want to ask you some things. May I get inside for a while?" That was it. At first he said: "I dont care if you are a journalist". Then when he saw me taking notes on the paper, he told the crowd:" Ok, only one can get inside just to tell you that there are no seats. Mr.Journalist get in and come back to tell them that there are no free seats" So, I got in! The Main Organizer (MO) followed me until the start of the stairs. But he was so fat (!!) that he couldnt reach me. He only shouted "Go to see yourself!" So I got into the Odeum and after a little preassure, I saw the stage! Very clearly and with noone to stand in front of me! At first I thought that I had to go back, but...

Then the Mayor left... And mr.Organizer left too! We lost him, although he had given his word that we'll get inside in 5' !!! After 10' one man with tie came and said to the sucurity men "Hey leave them come inside!!! You can't do this to these people! Bring them inside NOW!!!!" Who was that man????? Guess what!!! He was a member of the Greek Parliament and a candidate in the upcoming elections! I was told that by the people who knew him. But.... the security people pushed him away. We pushed the door to get inside, there were more people pushing each other and many security men gathered towards that hot point!

"Does Dalaras know anything about all these things?????" was the first question came to my mind... No answer... Suddenly a man came towards the crowd. He was the responsible of the radio station. I spoke to him "Please do something. we are only 25 people!" - "No, I'm sorry. There are no seats" - We can be on the stairs! - "No, the ancient commission says that if there are a lot of people on the ancient stairs, they will collapse" (!!!!!!!!!!!) - "So why you did the concert here and not in a bigger stadium?" - (No answer) - Me: "Do you know that this is not an advertisement for your Station? It's a detraction!" He looked at me strictly. He was very upset. Suddenly one man was coming from inside. He was...the Mayor. He saw the crowd. As usual and because of the upconing elections said to the organizer: "Why dont you let these people get inside? They are only 20" (!!!) - "Ok, we'll do something mr.Mayor", said the responsible. ...

So, my first experience as a journalist was not so good I learnt from the people that the sponsors were: - Omega radio - Peloponissos newspaper - OPAP (betting company) - Municipality of Patras. I understood many many things that moment! That time the voice of... no, not Dalaras.... the voice of the Mayor of Patras came to my ears! Oh my god, I thought... What is this? Oh, yes... we have ELECTIONS! The elections for the municipality of Patras are in September. And the newspaper, the radio station and (of course) the municipality have started their work...

Hi everybody! I didn't manage to get one of the 1750 invitations for tonight's concert here in Patras Though, as an original Dalaras fan I'll try to get inside! Pray for me ok?? The concert begins in 1h, so I have to prepare my stuff. Ladders, ropes, knives... money... hehe :-) See you later!

’σχημα τα νέα για τη συναυλία στην Πάτρα. Σε τοπική εφημερίδα έγραψαν οτι για τη συναυλία είχαν βγει 1750 προσκλήσεις. Αυτές οι προσκλήσεις μοιράστηκαν δωρεάν. 'Ε και;', θα μου πείτε... ’λλο οι προσκλήσεις, άλλο τα εισητήρια. Έλα λοιπόν που το Αρχαίο Ωδείο χωράει...1750 άτομα! Η έρευνα συνεχίζεται, μακάρι να είναι αλλιώς...

Χαρά μου! Υπάρχει χώρος κ για τους 2 σας!

(From PatrasToday.gr) Ο Γιώργος Νταλάρας επισκέπτεται την Πάτρα για μία συναυλία που διοργανώνεται από το ραδιοσταθμό Ωμέγα και τελεί υπό την αιγίδα του Δήμου Πατρέων. Μαζί του βρίσκονται οι Γεράσιμος Ανδρεάτος, Μελίνα Ασλανίδου, Αννα Μπούρμα και Αρετή Κετιμέ... Στις 16/6 21:30 ΡΩΜΑΪΚΟ ΩΔΕΙΟ ΠΑΤΡΑΣ

In Arxaio Odeio really??? It's just for 2000-3000 people only! But the singers are very close to the audience and all the times I've been there, it was like being a 'family' with them :-) I think we'll have to find tickets soon!!! Anna, I thought that you come in Greece only for Dalaras concerts

Patras 16.6.2002! It's my day! Will anybody else be in Patras that day? Nikolaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ??????????????????????

I have to add my feedback too !! I saw the interview and I almost forgot that in Alpha there was the fiesta of Olympiakos !!! Apostoli, the sample is from an old interview given from Dalaras to Papastefanou 20-30 years ago! Papastefanou asks Dalaras something, but he prefers to answer with this song! I saw the interview but I got amazed with the old videoclips I saw!! Have you ever seen the video of "Ax Xelidoni mou" ??? Dalaras is walking by the railway with his old-styled hair and sings... There were many many many moments from 'old' Dalaras with Theodorakis, Loizos, Kougioumtzis. It was a 'must see'!

Apostoli, the 'Dalaras-Aretoula' photo has already been the backgound of my desktop, you were so close indeed! NIki mpravo for your great endless description!!!!

2. Γιάννης Πάριος - Τα Νησιώτικα (Is there anybody who hasn't listen to this album???)

Hi! Congratulations for the interesting topic! Here is my short feedback: 1. Η Παράσταση Αρχίζει (Γιάννης Πάριος, Δήμητρα Γαλάνη, Χάρις Αλεξίου ) (It's a live album ,recorded in Rex/Thessaloniki in 1989. Three of the greatest greek voices sing together!) There are more albums, I'll try to send more contribution. Greets!

In http://listen.to/gmh you can download the lyrics and the chords of these wonderful songs. Nikola, pros8ese ta stis partitoures k an 8es kapoies partitoures sygkekrimenwn tragoudiwn, pes mou na tis ftia3w ok?

Anna, you are right. Maybe we could send photos by email, privately. But what about the one that we are all together, in the entrance of Zygos? I think this is a great photo, all Dalaras Club members from all around Europe... What do you think?

Hi everybody! I think many of you who were in Zygos have some pictures of us, the members of Dalaras Club, don't you? Ok, I know that almost 99% of the times the camera was pointing on stage, but I remember some lightning towards us I'm going to have mine tomorrow and I'll try to have them scaned and posted to the Members Category. Hugs! Giorgos

Hey Micki, I was in the stadium where Hellas and Belgium had a soccer match. There were 100 belgian supporters, where were you? About the T-Shirt: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Nikola: You drove the whole Greece twice in 2 days! How was it?? How was the return to Alexandroupoli (or to Komotini) ?? I still remember how 'lost' you were after driving 1000km in one day, waw! But then, the wine and the good company woke you up! Thanks again for being with us!

Many hugs to all of you! I just wanted to say that it was an experience I will remember for all of my life. I felt so so good to realize that there are people who are inspired and influenced by Dalaras exactly (and maybe more) as I do! Quality Music, it's a rare thing in nowadays... Thank you! P.S. I asked my parents about the baptism in Likavitos I told you, remember Vivi-George etc? Finally it was not Giorgannas baptism, but the baptism of Arvanitaki's child. Dalaras was there with his wife, but just a guest. It was in 1986 maybe... That's why I got confused, i was only 8 years old...